NiKo reportedly joining Falcons as CS2 super team takes shape

Team Falcons is building a CS2 super team, and the Saudi Aribian-based organization has reportedly managed to recruit a genuine superstar to its squad in Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač.

NiKo has signed with Team Falcons, according to 1pv.fr reporter neLendirekt. The Bosnian superstar has been a mainstay on G2 Esports for over three years, where he never recorded a Major win, but did manage to take some IEM and BLAST trophies.

NiKo will join a Team Falcons that is rebuilding after the addition of former Team Vitality, and long-time Astralis, head coach Danny ‘zonic’ Sørensen. zonic is reportedly already building his powerhouse new roster with the addition of Team Viality’s Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif, and isn’t stopping at just one star with NiKo.

HLTV has linked Team Falcons with NiKo’s G2 Esports teammate Ilya ‘⁠m0NESY⁠’ Osipov and ENCE IGL Marco ‘Snappi’ Pfeiffer.

NiKo’s time with G2 Esports reportedly done in CS2

According to the report, Team Falcons bought out NiKo’s contract from G2 Esports with a price in the seven-figure range. A price point that has only been reached a select few times in esports, and could be the biggest buy-out in esports history.

1pv.fr also said m0NESY’s buyout could catch a similar price.

ESL

m0NESY was a highly touted prospect from NAVI’s Academy team.

NiKo’s run with G2 Esports has seen the team place highly at international events, like a second-place finish at the 2021 PGL Stockholm Major. NiKo and the team, however, never put together a Major win despite promising results in other events and multiple roster changes throughout the years.

It was his second runner-up medal at a Major too, after the shock loss to Cloud9 when he was with FaZe Clan, at the ELEAGUE Boston 2018 Major.

The squad’s current iteration with teenage AWPer m0NESY and Danish IGL Rasmus ‘HooXi’ Nielsen has looked promising so far this year. G2 won IEM Cologne and placed top four at Gamers8 and IEM Sydney.

NiKo will be joining a squad that already boasts a player and coach with some of the most Major wins in CS:GO history, and is looking to garner even more as the game transitions to Counter-Strike 2. With the release of the new Valve title, multiple teams have felt the need to revamp their squads, G2 and Falcons are no different.

NiKo has turned down the transfer offer from Falcons as of November 6, 2023, preferring to stay with G2 Esports despite the organization agreeing to the move.